Card handling devices and methods of using the same

• US 7,766,332 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Krenn, Peter, Grauzer, Attila, Scheper, Paul K., Blaha, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce; William M
• Application Number:
  US11/598,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20080006998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149.R, 273/149.P
• US Class Current: 273/149.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers

Abstract

A card handling device includes a sensing system for identifying cards handled thereby. A control system may be configured to selectively control an infeed system, a storage system, and/or an output system of the device in response to a signal received from the sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform one or more of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the device. A card handling device may be configured to dispense randomly arranged hands, prearranged hands, randomly arranged decks, or prearranged decks.

Claims

1. A card handling device comprising:

a card handling zone;

a card infeed tray;

a separate card output tray, an opening to the card output tray located in substantially a common plane with an opening to the card infeed tray, the card infeed tray and the card output tray located on a common side of another plane located between the card handling zone and each of the card infeed tray and the card output tray;

a card sensing system for identifying a feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and

a control system comprising at least one electronic signal processor, at least one memory device in electrical communication with the at least one electronic signal processor, and a computer program stored in memory of the at least one memory device, the computer program being programmed to cause the control system to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from the card sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform each of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device.

2. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises at least one electronic signal processor, at least one memory device, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

3. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the computer program is further programmed to cause the control system to generate at least two playing hands or subsets of cards from a set of cards placed in the card infeed tray and to sequentially dispense the at least two playing hands or subsets of cards into the card output tray.

4. The card handling device of claim 3, wherein the computer program is further programmed to cause the control system to randomly generate each of the at least two playing hands or subsets of cards from the set of cards placed in the card infeed tray.

5. The card handling device of claim 3, wherein the computer program is further programmed to cause the control system to dispense a first playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray and to dispense a second playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray after the first hand or subset of cards is removed from the card output tray.

6. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the card handling device further comprises:

a card storage system comprising a plurality of compartments for receiving cards therein;

a card infeed system for moving cards from the card infeed tray to a compartment of the card storage system; and

a card output system for moving cards from a compartment of the card storage system to the card output tray.

7. The card handling device of claim 6, wherein the card storage system comprises a carousel and a carousel drive motor configured to drive rotation of the carousel.

15. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the card output tray and the card infeed tray are located on a same lateral side of the card handling zone.

8. A card handling device comprising:

a card handling zone;

a card infeed tray;

a separate card output tray, an opening to the card infeed tray and an opening to the card output tray located in a common plane, the card infeed tray and the card output tray located on a common side of another plane located between the card handling zone and each of the card infeed tray and the card output tray;

a card sensing system for identifying a feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and

a control system configured to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from the card sensing system, and to cause the card handling device to automatically dispense a first playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray and to substantially automatically dispense at least a second playing hand or subset of cards into the card output tray after the first playing hand or subset of cards is removed from the card output tray in response to a first input signal, and to cause the card handling device to selectively perform at least one of a shuffling operation and a sorting operation in response to a second input signal.

9. The card handling device of claim 8, wherein the card handling device further comprises:

a card storage system comprising a plurality of compartments for receiving cards therein;

a card infeed system for moving cards from the card infeed tray to a compartment of the plurality of compartments of the card storage system; and

a card output system for moving cards from a compartment of the plurality of compartments of the card storage system to the card output tray.

10. The card handling device of claim 9, wherein the card storage system comprises a carousel and a carousel drive motor configured to drive rotation of the carousel.

16. The card handling device of claim 8, wherein the card output tray and the card infeed tray are located on a same lateral side of the card handling zone.

11. A method of dealing hands or subsets of cards from a set of cards to persons in a game, the method comprising:

placing a set of cards in a card infeed tray of a card handling device;

moving cards of the set of cards from the card infeed tray to a card handling zone of the card handling device located on an opposite side of a plane from the card infeed tray;

substantially automatically generating a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards and dispensing the first hand or subset of cards to a separate card output tray located on a same side of the plane as the card infeed tray and an opposite side of the plane from the card handling zone, the card output tray having an opening in a common horizontal plane with an opening to the card infeed tray, substantially automatically generating the first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards comprising;

identifying each card in the set of cards using a card sensing system; and

using a control system of the card handling device to electronically generate the first hand or subset of cards;

removing the first hand or subset of cards from an opening to the card output tray of the card handling device and dealing the first hand or subset of cards to a first person;

substantially automatically generating at least a second hand or subset of cards from the set of cards and dispensing the at least a second hand or subset of cards to the card output tray of the card handling device after removing the first hand or subset of cards from the card output tray of the card handling device; and

removing the at least a second hand or subset of cards from the card output tray of the card handling device and dealing the at least a second hand or subset of cards to a second person.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein substantially automatically generating a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards comprises substantially automatically randomly generating a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein substantially automatically generating a first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards comprises substantially automatically generating a predetermined first hand or subset of cards from the set of cards.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein dispensing the first hand or subset of cards to the separate card output tray comprises dispensing the first hand or subset of cards to a separate card output tray located on a same lateral side of the card handling zone.

14. A card handling device comprising:

a card infeed tray;

a card output tray;

a card handling zone;

a card sensing system for identifying a feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and

a control system comprising at least one electronic signal processor, at least one memory device in electrical communication with the at least one electronic signal processor, and a computer program stored in memory of the at least one memory device, the computer program programmed to cause the control system to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from the card sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform each of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device, the control system comprising at least one electronic signal processor, at least one memory device, at least one input device, and at least one output device;

wherein the card infeed tray and the card output tray are located on a common side of a plane extending between the card handling zone and each of the card infeed tray and the card output tray, and wherein an upper edge of the card infeed tray and an upper edge of the card output tray are in a common plane.

18. The card handling device of claim 14, wherein the card infeed tray and the card output tray are on a first lateral side of the card handling zone.

19. A card handling device comprising:

a card handling zone;

a card infeed tray;

a separate card output tray located on a same side of the card handling zone as the card infeed tray and in substantially a common horizontal plane with the card infeed tray, the card infeed tray and the card output tray located on a first side of a vertical plane oriented perpendicular to the common horizontal plane, the card handling zone located on an opposite second side of the vertical plane oriented perpendicular to the common horizontal plane;

a card sensing system for identifying a feature or characteristic of each card handled by the card handling device; and

a control system comprising at least one electronic signal processor, at least one memory device in electrical communication with the at least one electronic signal processor, and a computer program stored in memory of the at least one memory device, the computer program being programmed to cause the control system to selectively control at least one of a card infeed system, the card handling zone, and a card output system of the card handling device in response to at least one signal received from the card sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform each of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the card handling device.